A Different Hope
by Original Prankster
Summary: What would the world be like if Luke and Leia had been switched at birth... follows the basic storyline of the movies but hopefully will change more as time goes on...
1. The way things were

A Different Hope

Author's note ~ Okay... the idea of the story is what would be different if Obi Wan had decided to switch the two children when they were babies, making Luke the prince and Leia the Jedi... it's all going to follow the film's pathway... maybe fuse the gaps together and tell a linear story, the situations will change of course as it goes on... Like on the deathstar... I don't think Leia's raging hormones would force her to save Luke. This will probably continue into the other two films... 'The Empire Strikes Me As Being Rather Odd' and 'The Recalculation of the Jedi' ;) 

The triple suns fell behind the horizon on Tatooine, casting a pinkish light across the sand dunes. A slim figure touched the interior workings of the moisture vaporator and cursed sharply as the short circuiting board malfunctioned allowing a short electric shock to be delivered. The figure sighed and pulled the sand coloured hood down across it's forehead. The sand people would be out come nightfall and it wasn't exactly the best idea to be mooching about on the edge of the farm at that time. After a moment the figure bent and picked up the tools, marking the vaporator as currently non functional before heading out towards home. The Lars homestead was, like all of the neighbouring dwellings, half built underground, the white washed walls above reflecting large portions of the heat of the triple suns. 

The figure reached one of the outer buildings and went inside to place the tools on the shelf next to the speeder. It was currently working quite well, the family had been working out how to place sand screens on the engine filtration units to stop it breaking down so often. An amused snort came from the body clad in robes, the reason why it kept on breaking down was because it was older than Owen and Beru's marriage certificate. After a time of quiet contemplation the person walked towards the farm after it reached the doorway it stopped and turned, looking up towards the sky. 

'Leia?' The figure twitched slightly and pulled down the hood of the robe. Long dark hair was tied back sharply behind her head. Dark eyes glittered in the fading light. 'Leia? Is that you?' 

'I'm coming Aunt Beru.' She pretty young girl said with a raised voice. She closed her eyes and sighed, before taking one last look towards the sky. 

* 

Luke frowned sharply as he ordered the crew to return fire on the Star destroyer that was gaining on them. They'd had no chance to jump to hyperspace and the ship had been following them for a good long time now. 'I think they're toying with us.' He said under his breath. 

'You should go, Sir. If you're here when they come on board they'll make you a prisoner for sure.' Luke looked down at the pilot of this vessel. 

'If I make a run for it they'll have me anyway.' He said with a frown. 'We can't let them have the plans.' He shook his head. 'Is there no way we can get those plans to the rebellion?' 

'No Sir, They've engaged the tractor beam.' Luke frowned as he noticed an old Artoo unit beeping away in the background. 

'I've got an idea, stall them, use any trick in the book, just keep us from being pulled in as long as you can.' With that simple command Prince Luke Organa strode from the deck of the ship indicating the Artoo unit to come with him. Luke grunted slightly as the ship was rocked from the laser fire that must have been streaking across the hull of the ship. He knew approximately where he was in the galaxy, the stop over around Tatooine had been an essential part of the course, they had been trying to throw off any pursuit, such as the one they had encountered. The irony flitted through Luke's mind for just a moment as he hunched down to start recording a message. The only person he knew could possibly help him on that godforsaken ball of dust the locals liked to call a planet. They had charted the course with such an emergency in mind, they all knew what they were carrying. Luke grinned faintly and made that, that those on board in the Rebellion knew what they were carrying. 

He recorded a brief message into the Artoo unit and prayed that the Imperials wouldn't take the escape pod. 'Well little droid, you know what you have to do.' He patted the dome on top of the unit. 'Good luck.' 

* 

Leia stretched slightly as she worked the kinks out of her shoulders. She grinned satisfied at the slight popping sound it made, she'd always been good with mechanical equipment and she smiled as she replaced the fuse housing on the droid. Her Aunt had always told her, in the absence of Uncle Owen of course, that it was a skill she had inherited from her father, she paused in her work for a moment. She had often wondered about her family, her mother and father at least, she had heard many stories about her Grandmother from both her Aunt and Uncle. But they had both remained fairly tight lipped about her parents, she sensed that they hadn't lived up to their ideals, hadn't gone on to become hard working farmers. In her most impetuous moments her Uncle had berated her with the fact she was irresponsible and headstrong 'just like her father'. 

She sighed as she switched the droid on and watched it beeping as it went off about it's chores. She raised herself to her feet and walked to the door to stare at the sky. There was so much she had never seen… and would never get the chance to see if her Uncle had his way. She watched a soft stream of light that lit against the horizon and closed her eyes. Leia looked back to her family home, it looked so small and inhibiting. She had always wanted to make something more of herself, to get out of this place and become… well… something. The truth was she didn't know what was out there, she had spent her life closed in on this farm without a hope for leaving it. 

Of course she had big dreams, there wasn't a farm brat here who didn't. She and her friend Biggs had spent many years hours shooting through Beggar's Canyon. Until he had fulfilled his dream and had left her behind, he had fulfilled her dream too, truth be told. To go to the Imperial Academy, become a Pilot for the Empire. When she had asked her Uncle for permission he had… well there was no other words for it, he had thrown a fit. How they had managed to come to an agreement was a miracle in the shape of her Aunt. Leia would stay for the time being, pull in the harvest and go next year. She shook her head, tempted to just take off and leave a note, maybe make this years intake, catch up with Biggs and fight with him against the Empire's enemies. She frowned at that thought, the Empire had never really reached this far out, Tatooine was a rim world for very good reason. 

Leia smiled, wondering if she was in fact like her father, or even her mother. Asking her Aunt or Uncle about them would result in recriminations and no answers. She wondered briefly what her life would have been like if they had lived. 

* 

Luke pulled his blaster out of his holster and fired on the storm troopers charging up on the deck. He knew that he would be taken captive, but, as with all his dealings with the Empire, he would make it as costly for them as he possibly could. He only hoped the plans would be safe, he had seen what they were going to be building, what they probably were already building. His father had agreed with Luke's decision for an early entry into politics, his consular ship and diplomatic immunity acting as the perfect front. Not that Luke had truly believed that the Empire was fooled, but as a member of the Alderaan Royal Family, they had needed proof before doing anything to him. Seems that they had it. 

Luke grunted as a blaster bolt skimmed the top of his head. He could just imagine the debriefing of that soldier, Luke had no doubt he was to be taken alive. He looked towards the door, there were reams of storm troopers clouting through the door. Luke wondered briefly if he should actually be scared before dismissing that thought, he hadn't the time to cower. He looked at the power readout on his blaster, four shots to total annihilation. He took a moment and a few deep breaths, he had always been good at this, calling the target to him he called it. After a moment he peeled off four shots, one after the other and took solace in the fact he heard four separate bodies hit the floor. 

* 

Luke shrugged the hands off of his shoulders, he was wearing binders, he really didn't need to be dragged that way. He saw the dark imposing figure of the one person he could be truly said to be afraid of. The starkness of the outfit as compared with the walls of the ship and even the storm troopers made him seem even more imposing. Luke rallied well and raised an eyebrow. 'Darth Vader, I assume you have a good reason for attacking my ship?' Luke's gut tightened as he felt the full weight of the man's malevolence reach out to him. 

'Your Royal status will not help you evade the facts of your treason against the Empire any longer.' Luke raised an eyebrow. 

'I have no idea what you're talking about, you have violated my diplomatic immunity…' He was cut off, the strong emotion in Vader's voice giving him pause, he would do well not to push him. He had heard tales of what this man could do. 

'You have no diplomatic immunity, rebel spies will be dealt with by the full weight of the Empire.' He leant away from the young man and gestured to the Storm troopers. 'Take him away.' Luke felt hands as they half dragged him from his ship, but his eyes remained on Vader. They had met only a few times before, but they had always been enough to make Luke fear him. It was really the question of that which he feared more, the galaxy under the rule of the Emperor, or facing down Darth Vader. 

* 

Leia watched the Jawas as they stopped outside the farm. It was always a regular occurrence that the tiny creatures came to the farm to sell droids and spare parts. Leia smiled as they began to trundle out the druids, a strangely good selection this time, as good as you can expect on Tatooine anyway. She considered for a moment and walked out to her Uncle, Leia had spent a while examining droids as part of her obsession with flying. She looked curiously at the little blue astromech droid, it wasn't really old enough to have made it's way out onto a backwards planet like this. She looked at her Uncle who was having a discussion with a gold plated robot over what languages it could speak. Leia sighed slightly, no matter how many droids the farm had she wouldn't be allowed to go, maybe it was time she accepted that. 

She turned back towards the farm house but a loud bang stopped her in her tracks. She turned to look at the now exploded droid over her shoulder and she frowned as her Uncle started shouting at the head Jawa. She sighed softly and looked across at the line of droids, the next one had better not explode on her, she had enough to do before she got away from here. The little blue astromech was jumping up and down and Leia sighed, she felt for the little thing, to just get away from where you are going. 'Uncle Owen.' She called and then pointed to the little blue one. 'Why don't we give that one a chance?' He nodded and composed himself to talk to the Jawa. Leia gestured that they should follow her. 

* 

Luke sat on the couch in his cell quietly with his eyes closed. It was in these silent moments when he most felt at peace, when the universe slipped away and he was alone, only he wasn't alone. He breathed deeply. In the back of his mind he knew what was coming, he knew that the Empire was not yet finished with him. He was trying to prepare for it the only way he could. As the door to his cell slid open he prayed for the force to be with him, his father knew the force was real and had drilled that into his son, he just hoped it was real enough to support him. 

'Have you let the Senate know that you are holding me?' Luke made certain that his voice was calm and controlled. 

'The Emperor has disbanded that useless pocket of resistance left within the Empire just this morning.' Darth Vader's voice was like rough gravel and Luke felt his stomach tighten against the words, the senate was the only way that the people could gain any voice, muted and near silent as it was. 'But now, your highness, we shall discuss the location of the rebel base.' He leant forward towards Luke who's eyes were captured by the black probe droid as it began it's steady way into the room, floating on it's repulsorlift coils. Luke went to move backwards only to find he was held down by two stromtroopers. He cried out sharply as the first needle stuck into his skin. 

* 

Darth Vader swept from detention block, accompanied by Tarkin. 'I would not have expected him to be that resistant to the mind probe.' The voice unit gave his tone an unpleasant undercurrent. 

'His will is remarkably strong.' The young Prince had let out only old plans of the Rebels and that only under remarkable duress. Darth Vader had sensed something of the young boy that made him suspicious through the torture. 'Maybe an alternative form of persuasion?' Tarkin looked to the black robed figure. 

'What do you mean?' He asked sharply. 

'Maybe if we are to threaten his home world, he is not that strong.' Vader nodded coldly. 'Set course for Alderaan.'   



	2. Family fries

Author's note ~ Thanks for the reviews guys... I'm not too sure where I'm going with this, I'm going to need to tweak ideas...   
  


Leia was checking over the little droid whilst half heartedly listening to the golden one they had picked up, she sensed that it was going to be a long stint at the farm, he hadn't shut up since they had appropriated him. She looked at the little droid and rolled her eyes significantly at him. The little Artoo unit bleeped at her sadly. 'You don't belong here either do you?' She asked him quietly. She sat back in surprise as he began to bleep and whistle at her as she went to reattach his restraining bolt, rocking from side to side. She looked up at the goldren droid. 'What's his problem?' She asked. 

'I'm afraid he's been under a lot of duress lately, he keeps on stating that he is the property of an Obi Wan Kenobi.' Leia looked at the little droid with a delicate frown on her features. 'I'm afraid I have no idea as to what he is talking about.' Leia stood for a moment and tilted her head. 

'I think I might.' She said quietly. She looked up as her name was being called. 

'Leia!' It was her Uncle. She ran out of the room. 'Leia Skywalker!' She emerged to see her Uncle calling for her. 'Oh, you are here, I'd thought you'd gone and taken that blasted skyhopper out again.' Leia shrugged, she'd wanted to but she always had more chores than time in the day. 'Dinner's ready.' Leia nodded and followed her Uncle to the dinner table. 

As she sat down to the dinner table, she decided to throw a bit of casual conversation out to gauge the reactions of her family. 'So, did Old Ben Kenobi go by the name of Obi Wan Kenobi at any point? You know, that you're aware of.' She bent her head and pretended not to notice the silence that suddenly echoed around the table. She had kept her tone casual to try and avoid the sharp questions. 

'Where did you hear that name?' Her Uncle demanded of her and she shrugged non commitedly. 

'Just around really. I was just curious.' She said dismissively and ignored the look that her guardians exchanged. 

'This Obi Wan character has been dead a long time Leia.' Leia looked up and shrugged with a nod. Best to act if you weren't bothered. 'He died around the same time as your father.' Leia blinked for a moment. 

'Did he know him?' She asked off hand and watched the scowl her uncle gave suddenly. Leia knew that face well enough, time to change the subject. 'Those droids seem to be in pretty good shape for being out here.' She said as she began to eat, trying to keep the inane conversation flowing as her brain worked out the complexities of what she hadn't been told. This Obi Wan Kenobi had known her father, she resolved to talk to Old Ben Kenobi about it, she didn't know if he knew anything, but she didn't believe in coincidences. 

* 

Leia put her hand over her eyes as if she could block out what she was seeing, or rather, wasn't seeing. 'No, no, no.' She murmured. She picked up the restraining bolt from where she had dropped it and winced. She was dead, she concluded. She picked up a second restraining bolt nearer the door. It had been sheared from the droids body, probably from the little Artoo droid. She picked up the pair of macrobinoculars from the top of a work bench, she often used them to keep tabs on the droids scattered around the farm, and she moved out towards the edge of the farm. 

'Damn! Nothing.' She growled in frustration as she scanned the horizon. 

'What's nothing?' Leia closed her eyes and pulled the macrobinoculars from her face before turning to face her Uncle. 

'The new droids, they've slipped their restraining bolts… they're gone.' She bit her lip slightly and waited for the inevitable outburst. When it didn't come she looked her Uncle in the eyes and saw the frown. 

'How does a droid slip it's restraining bolt?' He asked her sharply. 

'I… may have forgotten to reattach it to the Artoo unit.' Leia admitted quietly. 'I think it took the bolt off of the other one.' She paused and waited. It came with a softer approach than normal. 

'Leia, how could you be so careless?' He asked in a disappointed voice, it was maybe worse than him shouting. 

'I… I could take the speeder…' She started and was cut short by his hand raising and cutting off her words, rubbing his forehead with the other. 

'Not in the middle of the night, Leia. You know the risk of the sand people at this time. We've just lost two of our biggest assets on the farm Leia. We aren't going to get them back.' Leia opened her mouth to say that she thought they might be going to Ben Kenobi but she didn't even manage to expel the first syllable. 'I don't want to hear it Leia.' He said, watching the crestfallen look on his young niece's face. He turned on his heel and stalked away from her as she closed her eyes. 

She sighed and sat in the sand dune at the edge of the homestead looking out into the night sky and suddenly felt her escape from the farm drift far away. 

* 

'Now just you wait here!' See Threepio shouted at the little droid trundling fast away from him. A few beeps sounded. 'No! I will not hurry up.' He said moving all the faster towards the little droid. 'Are you quite aware of what you've done?' Another series of bleeps. 'Of course I had to come with you, can you imagine the kind of trouble you would have gotten into alone?' 

The pair had been walking for hours now and the sun was just tingeing the horizon with rich oranges which heralded the break of dawn in the desert. 'What makes you think he's out this way?' Threepio was feeling distinctly put upon as they entered the canyons. 

* 

Obi Wan moved lightly amongst the rocks of the canyon, his Jedi training still good after all this time. He didn't know just why he was out here this morning, he had woken to the force surrounding him, pushing against him in a way he had rarely felt before. The last time the force had pushed him so hard was when he had split the two young children of his old apprentice between two families. Something tumultuous was to happen today, of that at least he was certain. Obi Wan's brow furrowed slightly. 

He pondered the first time he had come to Tatooine, he had barely come off the ship, he had never even considered that this would be where he spent the majority of his life. Over the years he had long considered the events that had brought him here, had often wondered if there was something he could have done to change things, to bring Anakin back to the light side of the force. But second guessing was petty at the best of times. He had his duty to the force and he would see it through, his last act as a Jedi before he had gone into hiding was still the reason he had remained on Tatooine. 

He had split up the heirs of Darth Vader to protect them from him, Anakin was gone, killed by the dark side of the force that had infiltrated and turned him into the monstrosity that was Darth Vader. He had sent the little boy with Padme to the world of Alderaan under the care of Bail Organa, it had pained Obi Wan to learn of her death only a few years later. But he considered it a blessing in many ways, Padme had been dying since the change in Anakin, she had returned to the force and in it she lived on. That Bail had later adopted Luke had come as no surprise, the force worked in ways that would see Anakin's children safe. 

Obi Wan had come to Tatooine to speak to Anakin's family, he had asked if the Lars' would take in the baby girl. They knew little of Anakin, and what Obi Wan had explained of the situation they had taken badly. They had told him that they would bring up Leia in memory of her grandmother as opposed to her father. He couldn't fault them for that really, but to explain to him that they would brook no 'Jedi interference' as they termed it had been a lot to take for Obi Wan. He had been assigned a duty to the force, to make sure that Anakin's children remained Anakin's, as opposed to Darth Vaders. Luke was safe enough in the Alderaan court, it was the perfect disguise, but Leia Skywalker had no such protection. So he had taken to living several miles from the Lars homestead, waiting for his help to be needed. 

He had often seen Leia, she had grown up into a bright eyed young woman, made stronger by the hard desert life as opposed to being ground down by it, as so many people were. He had seen her fly, she would have made a pod racer to rival even her father, her innate ability in the force fairly glowed from her. He had watched her about her work in the farm as well, every movement had become weary, tired and bored beyond imagining. She was very much Anakin's daughter, strong of will and spirit, the force blanketing her as she went about her everyday life. He smiled briefly, the Skywalker blood had remained true. 

He moved forwards, letting the force surround him, the darkness of the previous years had slackened, allowing Obi Wan to finally believe that the light would return to the galaxy in due course. The force nudged at him gently and he raised his head. He frowned as the sun glittered hard off of a metallic body. Droids? He waited, why would the force be pushing him towards some droids? He fingered the lightsabre at his belt, he had worn it for most of his life, he had never gotten used to taking it off, not even on Tatooine in the years he had believed himself safe. 

His eye caught a movement in the hills below him. The sand people? Always with the blasted sand people! The role of the creatures in the downfall of his apprentice had always remained with him. But as a Jedi he had vowed to protect from harm. He supposed that even meant droids. He stood up in the rocks and let out a vicious howl. 

* 

Obi Wan looked at the droids with a slight tilt to his head, the force had pushed him towards them. 

'Oh Sir.' The voice of the gold protocol droid instantly grated on his nerves, the programmed obsequiousness was not a thing he was fond of. 'How can we ever thank you? You've saved our lives!' Obi Wan pulled the dark hood from his head and regarded the two droids. 

'What brings two droids out into the far reaches of Tatooine?' He asked musingly. 

'Well it wasn't my idea…' The gold robot grumbled but was cut off by a series of bleeps from the little astromech droid. 

'What did he say?' Obi Wan asked the translator. 

'Oh don't mind him, he's malfunctioning. He keeps on a ridiculous search for an Obi Wan Kenobi.' Obi Wan remained silent at the droids revelation. 'He even convinced me to run away from our new owners to take up the search, an absolutely pleasant family. But instead he runs away into a life of who knows what and of course he doesn't ask me what I think of it. But then I'm a mere droid, our lot is to suffer.' Obi Wan resisted the impulse to roll his eyes at the melodrama. 

'What does he want of Obi Wan Kenobi?' He asked simply. He waited a moment for the translation. 

'He says he has a message for this Obi Wan Kenobi from our time aboard the ship before we escaped down onto this dust filled planet.' Obi Wan frowned. 

'What were you escaping from?' He asked calmly. 

'I believe it was an Imperial Ship, Sir. I suspect that a large part of the crew was part of the Rebellion.' The little droid bleeped in what Obi Wan assumed was an affirmation. 

'I suspect that you droids would be worth a lot to the Empire?' He asked as he looked at the tracks the pair had left in the sand. An uneasy thought grew in him, in that there were no coincidences, only the will of the force. 'What farm did you say you had been sold to?' He asked. 

'A remarkably good willed family. By the name of Lars.' Obi Wan looked at him sharply. These two droids had been present at a battle for the Rebellion, were looking for him and had spent some time in service to Leia's guardians. He turned from the droids. 'Sir? Sir? Where are you going?' 

'If you want to see your message delivered to Obi Wan, you'd best come with me.' 

* 

Leia rubbed her forehead, she felt filthy both inside and out. Her Uncle had seen fit to punish her by setting her to work fixing all the things on the farm that had ever needed fixing. She had just finished fitting a new repulsorcoil to the speeder, which had been long and laborious. Unnecessary as well, now she came to think of it, the only person that used the speeder was her and she couldn't see her being allowed out in it for a very, very long time. She sat on the floor as she tampered with some more electricals, brushing her long brown hair out of her face. She looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching the farm and frowned. The harvest wasn't due for another month or more, that was really the only time they ever got visitors to the farm. 

She sighed and went back to fiddling with the parts in her hand, it was entirely possible, if unlikely, that some of their neighbours had called in to visit. She looked up at the sound of her Uncle's raised voice, not that she hadn't heard it before, in fact it was quite common. But the undertone of fear added to the fact that there was something not quite right on the farm. She pulled the hood down low on her face, it was almost the colour of sand, she could remain fairly well blended into the background. She exited the building and ducked behind the floating speeder as she slowly edged around to the front of the farm. 

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw a cohort of Imperial storm troopers at the front of her. Her Uncle was shaking, in her whole life she had never known him to do that. Leia's jumped as she heard her Aunt's panicked shout from inside the building. Her Uncle made a moved inside but the storm trooper closest to him dropped him to his knees by virtue of slamming the blaster rifle into his temple. Leia stood where she was, unable to move. There was a muffled discussion as her Aunt Beru was brought from inside the house and pushed to her knees next to her Uncle. They were being asked questions that she couldn't quite make out. 

She didn't need to hear anything to understand what was about to happen next. The storm trooper closest to her cocked his blaster rifle and pointed at the heads of her Guardians. Leia didn't even have time to think, all she was concerned with was the protection of her Aunt and Uncle. She launched herself onto the back of the storm trooper and there was sudden confusion within the ranks as she used her elbows and knees to keep a hold on his slippery armour. With his limited movement she was able to get her finger underneath the edge of his helmet and pull it off his head. 

Leia saw her Uncle and Aunt move suddenly, Leia's distraction affording them a chance to fight back. The unmasked man tried to level a shot at them as they charged towards the members of his group. Leia grunted as she bit into the man's cheek to keep him from firing. Her uncle had gone for the waist of one storm trooper, Leia watched helplessly as the pair had toppled and a blaster bolt had ricocheted through his back. She cried out wordlessly. Her Aunt Beru was no where near as strong as her Uncle, or even Leia. One trooper felled her with a crack over the head. 

'Leia, run.' She murmured as a white clad figure stood over her, letting a blaster shot into the woman's skull. 

Leia screamed at that point, not for help, but a wild cry of pain and her efforts redoubled to keep the storm trooper she had launched herself onto immobile. 'Set for stun.' The words chilled her, they wouldn't care who they hit if they could be separated out after. The volley of shots that came her way slammed into the armour of the storm trooper, which afforded him some minimal protection. But the blaster bolt that embedded itself in her shoulder knocked Leia to the floor. She panted sharply as she looked at the approaching troopers, the spreading tingle of pain that emanated from her shoulder left her aware of what was happening around her. 

Tears slid down her cheeks as she waited for the trooper standing over her to end her life. She should have been able to prevent this, stop the slaughter of her Uncle and Aunt. The pain at seeing their deaths was palpable and she groaned as she tried to move. Aim was taken by the trooper over her and she moaned in preparation. She waited for the final shot until a sudden shadow and a line of fire slid across her eyes. Confusion overwhelmed a body that was begging to be taken down into the darkness of sleep and she tried to move her head. 

She sighed slightly and her eyelids closed. She listened to the slight humming on the edge of her perception and the cries that were suddenly cut short. Leia moaned slightly as she felt herself floating before unconsciousness claimed her.   



End file.
